Car-fender.



W. PONGER.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 101

1,088,655. I Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH COA'WASHINUTUNA [L c.

W. FONGER.

CAR FENDER.

AIPLIOATION FILED NOV. 4, 1912.

Patented Feb. 24, 191 1 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FONGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FON'GER FENDER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

GAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.1

Application filed November 4, 1912. Serial N 0. 729,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FONGEIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to fenders of the character used in connection with street-cars; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a car-fender of improved construction and operation.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a broken longitudinal sectional view of the sub-structure of a car-body, showing my improved fender applied thereto, in elevation, the view being taken as indicated at line 1 of Fig. 5; Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the fenderframe in retracted and elevated position; Fig. 3, a broken perspective view showing more in detail the means employed for holding the fender-frame in the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. +l, a broken perspective view showing the detail of the device employed for preventing displacement of the fender proper when the fender-frame is in the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a broken section taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a plan View of the fender, the dotted lines illustratin r a portion of the substructure of the car; Fig. 7, a broken longitudinal sectional view taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8 of Fig. 6 showing the fender proper in elevated posi tion with relation to the fender-frame; Fig. 9, a broken plan view showing a foot-pedal adapted for use in manually reversing the fender proper, when desired; and Fig. 10, a broken section taken as indicated at line 10 of Fig. 7.

In my Patent No. 1,009,399, granted November 21, 1911, I disclosed an eccentricallymounted, automatically-positioned, fenderbody, which operates, when the body of a person is encountered, to automatically swing rearwardly and downwardly to a position between the rails of the track, so as to he in position to take up the person and prevent the car from passing over him. Such a feature is preferably employed in connection with my present improvements.

In the drawings-A represents the body of a car; B, a fender-frame retractably mounted beneath the sub-structure of. the car-body, from which itis suspended; and B, a fender-body or guard which is eccentrically mounted on the front end of the frame B and adapted, when encountered by a body, or obstacle, to be automatically swung rearwardly and downwardly, so that its edge which is normally at the rear will be presented forwardly and in position to pass beneath the body encountered and elevate the same to a position on the fenderframe.

The construction of the car-body A is unimportant. The frame B is supported from the framework at the base of the car-body by means of arms 1 and links 2. The arms 1 are fixedly secured to a rock-shaft 3, which rock-shaft is equipped with an arm 4 adapted to be depressed from the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a plunger 5 which operates through the floor of the vestibule and may be depressed by the foot of the motorman. The free extremities of the arms 1 are pivotally joined to the rear portion of the fender-frame B. The links 2 are suspended from the car-body by pivots or studs 6, and the lower ends of said links are connected, by pivots 7, to the fender-frame at an intermediate portion.

In the form shown, the fender-frame comprises a pair of side members 8, a front connecting member 9 and a rear connecting member 10. The members 8 are extended in front of the cross-bar 9 and equipped with bearings 11 which receive the outer ends of the crank-arms or eccentric trunnions 12 with which the fender-body B is equipped at its extremities. The rear cross-member '10 of the fender-frame is equipped with a rearwardly-cxtending bracket 13, from the rear portion of which there extends forwardly a centrally-disposed frame-member 14, the front end of which is connected with the front cross-member 9, as shown at 15. The rear end of the member 14 is turned down to afford a bracket 16 to which is attached a tension-spring 17 which passes through a bearing 18 and has its front end equipped with a hook 19 which normally engages that portion 15 of the frame-member 14 which is curved about the cross-rod 9. The hook 19 has a nose portion 2O with which is connected a chain 21 which passes about the fender-body B and is connected therewith by means of a staple 22.

The fender-body B is of somewhat oval or elongated cross-section, having a nose portion 23 which is normally disposed rearwardly as shown in Fig. 7, and having a thickened opposite edge portion 24 which is normally presented forwardly. When the portion 24 of the fender-body encounters a body, the fender-body is caused to turn rearwardly, in which operation the portion 23 of the fender-body B automatically disengages the hook 19 from the fender-frame, thus permitting the spring 17 to reverse the position of the fender-body by a rearwardly somersaulting action, so that the fender-body B will occupy the position shown in Fig. 8. The spring 17 is of sufficient strength to forcibly cause such revolution to be effected after the hook 19 is disengaged. To limit the reversing movement of the member B, a short chain or flexible member 25 is attached to the front frame-member 9 and to I the fender-body B, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. This chain will permit the reversing action to occur, but will limit the movement, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

It is sometimes desirable that the motorman should be enabled to effect a reversal of the fender-body B. To enable this to be accomplished, a chain or flexible member 26 is attached to the fender-body, as shown in Fig. 6. The chain 26 passes through the network 27 with which the fender-frame is equipped, and passes about a pulley 28 with which the front portion of the floor of the vestibule is equipped. The rear end of the chain 26 is connected with an arm 29 of a foot-treadle 30 which is conveniently disposed at the floor of the vestibule, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 9.

To enable the fender-frame to be retracted to the position shown in Fig. 2, after the plunger 5 is depressed by stepping upon said plunger, a chain 31 is employed. This chain passes about the pulley 28 and is equipped with a handle 32 which is adapted to be received by a fork 33 carried by a standard 34 located in the front portion of the vestibule of the car. The lower end of the chain 31 is provided with branches 35 which are connected with the front member 9 of the fender-frame.

It will be observed that when the fenderframe occupies the lowered position shown in Fig. 1, the pivotal connections 36 between the arms 1 and the rear portion of the frame B are elevated above the plane passing through the pivots 7 and the rock-shaft In other words, the pivots 36 are above the dead center and the weight of the fenderbody B serves to hold the fender-frame in the position shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to retract the fender-frame, the motorman steps on the plunger 5, thus turning the rock-shaft 3 and depressing the arms 1 to throw the pivots 36 below the dead center, whereupon the fender-frame is retracted by grasping the handle 32 of the chain 31, elevating the chain and bringing the handle 32 into engagement with the fork 33 on the standard 34.

lVhen the fender -frame occupies the retracted position shown in Fig. 2, it is deslrable to prevent accidental reversal of the fender-body B. This is accomplished by employing bell-crank levers 37 which are connected with the forward extensions of the side members 8 of the fender-frame, which bell-crank levers are equipped with stops 38 (see Figs. 4 and 6). These bell-crank levers have a pin-andslot connection 40 with the forward ends of the links 41 whose rear ends are connected, by pivots 42, with the lower portions of the links 2. When the fenderframe is thrown to the retracted position shown in Fig. 2, the links 41 may serve to rotate the bell-crank levers 37 forwardly and carry the stops 38 to a position beneath the nose-portion 23 of the fender-bodyB, as shown in Fig. 2. This movement is automatically efiected in the retraction of the fender-frame; and when the fender-frame is allowed to drop to the lowered position, the stops 38 are automatically withdrawn from beneath the nose-portion of the fenderbody B.

The a rrangement just described may be supplemented by the employment of springs 43 adapted to turn the bell-cranks 37 forwardly when the forward movement of the links 41 permits such action to occur. One of the springs 43 is illustrated in Fig. 4, where it is shown as having a coiled portion 44 encircling the crank-arm 12, and having an arm provided with a loop 45 which engages the arm of the bell-crank which carries the stop 38. The other end of the coil 44 has an outturned extremity 46 adapted to engage the fender-frame in any desired manner.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the fender-body B is capable of automatic reversal, or it may be manually tripped through the medium of the foot-treadle 30. Also, the fender-frame may be manually retracted to the elevated. position shown in Fig. 2, in which operation the fender-body B will be automatically locked against reversal with relation to the fender frame. 7

In Fig. 8, the front bar 9 of the fenderframe is shown equipped with a spring-projected plunger, or catch, 47, Which cooperates with a catch-member 48 with which the blunt edge of the fender-body B is mit the member 48 to pass when the fenderbody B is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 8, and will then look the fender-body B in the lowered position. In Figs. 2 and 3 is shown a stop 49, carried by the substructure of the car, which serves to limit the up ward movement of the arms 1.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no undue limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting an intermediate portion of said fender-frame with said carbody, a rock-shaft equipped with arms pivoted to the rear portion of said fenderframe, and means for turning said rockshaft.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting an intermediate portion of said fender-frame with said carbody, a rockshaft equipped with arms pivoted to the rear portion of said fenderframe, means for turning said rock-shaft,

and a fender-frame retracting-device adapted to retract the fender-frame after said rock-shaft has been turned to throw said arms downwardly and rearwardly.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting an intermediate portion of said fender-frame with said carbody, a rock-shaft equipped with arms pivoted to the rear portion of said fenderframe, means for turning said rock-shaft, and a flexible fender-retracting member connected with said fender-frame.

4. The combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting an intermediate portion of the fender-frame with the car-body, a rock-shaft connected with the car-body and equipped with arms having their extremities pivotally connected with the rear portion of the fender-frame and equipped also with an actuating-arm, and a plunger connected with the car-body and adapted to depress said actuating-arm.

5. The combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting an intermediate portion of the fender-frame with the car-body, a rock-shaft connected with the car-body and equipped with arms having their extremities pivotally connected with the rear portion of the fender-frame and equipped also with an actuating-arm, .1. plunger connected with the car-body and adapted to depress said actuating-arm, and a fender-frame retracting-device adapted to retract the fender-frame after said rockshaft has been turned to lower said firstnamed arms.

6. The combination with a canbody, of a fender-frame, a fender-body supported on the front portion thereof, links connecting the intermediate portion of the fenderframe with the car-body, arms connecting the rear portion of the fender-frame with the car-body, and means for throwing said arms downwardly to lower the joint between said arms and fender-body below the dead center, and 'means for retracting said fender-frame after such operation.

7. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a fender-frame, of a normally elevated, ecccntrically mounted, rearwardly overturnable fender mounted thereon, an actuating spring for effecting reversal ofsaid fender, an automaticallytripped restraining device for said spring, means for retracting the fender-frame, and means for locking said fender against reversal while the fender is in the retracted position.

8. The combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting said fenderframe with the car-body, means for retracting the fender-frame, a normally-elevated, ecccntrically-mounted, rearwardly-overturnable fender mounted on said fender-frame, and a fender-securing device equipped with means for automatically moving 1t to the fender-engaging position in the operation of retracting the fender-frame, whereby overturning of the fender will be prevented while the fender-frame is in retracted position.

9. The combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting said fenderframe with the car-body, means for retracting the fender-frame, and ecccntricallymounted, rearwardly-overturnable fender mounted on said fender-frame, a bell-crank lever connected with the fender frame adjacent the fender and equipped with a fenderstop, and a link connecting said bell-crank lever with one of said first-named links, for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination with a car-body, of a fender-frame, links connecting an intermediate portion of the fender-frame with the car-body, arms connecting the rear portion of the fender-frame with the car-body, means for retracting the fender-frame, an eccentrically-mounted, rearwardly-overturnable fender mounted on the front portion of said frame, and a stop-device for the fender connected with one of said links.

11. The combination with a car-body, of a fenderframe, an ecccntrically-mounted, rearwardly-overturnable fender mounted on the front portion of said frame, links connecting the intermediate portion of the fender-frame with the car-body, arms connecting the rear portion of the fender-frame With the car-body, a fender-trip including engage the fender-frame retracting-device a chain connected With the fender and a when the fender-frame occupies a retracted foot-lever connected With the car-body, a position.

fenderframe retractingchain connected WVILLIAM FONGER. with said fender-frame and equipped at its In presence of rear end With a handle, and a support L. HEISLAR,

mounted on the car-body and adapted toI J. LANDESMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

